Over the last few years, I have become very intentional about what I buy. I don't usually buy things impulsively anymore, and I want to be sure when I spend money on an item that I will really use it and it won't become something that just fills up a landfill. 

But there are some items I've bought lately and have been really happy with, so here goes! 

A new pair of vintage-style jeans from Madewell. 

These trouser jeans from Ann Taylor. 

This ecru midi denim skirt from Target. 

This handbag organizer for keeping my purse organized and switching bags more easily!

These D-Bronzi drops from Drunk Elephant. 

These cinnamon colored trousers from Target. 

A white v-neck boxy tee bodysuit from Shop Ambitionist. 

xoxo

​Jenise

Worthy of Wearing isn't a novel, so it's not the usual kind of recommendation that I give. But I do think this is a worthwhile read for women. I recently talked on social media about how I had begun to shop with more intention and how I really weigh out whether a piece is something that will complement my already existing wardrobe and my personal style. 

Nicole Caruso is a Catholic beauty and fashion consultant, a former beauty editor, a mom and wife. Nicole's book teaches you to celebrate and reflect your unique mission, vocation, and worldview and helps you integrate your faith identity with your personal style. She gives practical advice for curating your wardrobe, offers styling tricks, gives tips for shopping, and encourages you to embrace your current season of life. 

I have loved reading this book and seeing a lot of my own thoughts mirrored in Nicole's writing. For me, reading this book wasn't necessarily a huge A-HA! moment, but more of a "ooooh, someone else thinks like I do," kind of thing. It's also a nice way to think of how God created us and the image we present to the world and how those two things coincide. 

If you struggle with getting dressed, with finding your style, and with walking the line between fashion and style, I would definitely recommend this book for you. She poses questions at the end of each section that you can use to help you get to the core of what you need/want out of your wardrobe, plus a thirty day action plan at the end that you can follow! My favorite reminder of all? Style doesn't have to mean expensive. 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

Get the book on Amazon. 
​Get it from your local bookstore. 

Because most of the regular shows we watch haven't been on in the last few weeks, I've been watching more Netflix than usual. Add in the kids staying with their grandparents over the weekend, and I got in a few more movies than usual! Here are some I've watched recently! 

He's All That
​An updated take on a teen classic (at least for me). It was cute, acting was okay, and there were some nostalgic parts. The storyline was very similar, and included some lines from the original movie. Peep Rachael Leigh Cook as the mom and Mathew Lillith as the school principal. 

Virgin River
Okay, this is a series, and it's in its third season. So admittedly, it's a little bit of an investment. I don't know why I like this one so much, but I do. Mel is a nurse who moves to Virgin River, a tiny town. She instantly feels a connection with Jack, but he is otherwise committed. There are lots of small town characters who are likable (and some who aren't), there's mystery strewn in, and it's pretty feel-good romance/drama. 

Ginny & Georgia
Funny and smart, this one is also a series. Ginny is a 15 year old who lives with her single mother, Georgia and her younger brother Austin in a New England town. Georgia is trying to give her a kids a better life than the one she had, but in a lot of ways, she's less mature than Ginny is. I think this is definitely worth it, and Eddie enjoyed watching this with me.

Resort to Love
Aspiring pop star Erica takes a gig singing at an island resort after having a major hiccup in her career and personal life. In her first few weeks of work, her ex-fiance shows up with his new fiancé, all ready for their own wedding at the resort, where Erica will be the singer. She tries to fight her feelings for her ex while simultaneously keeping their history a secret from his bride-to-be. This was a cute, all up in your feelings kind of movie. And the groom's brother was major eye candy, too. 

This Little Love of Mine
An attorney on the brink of making partner at her firm returns home to the small island she's from to try and convince an old friend to take over his family's company. Rekindled feelings get in the way and throw everyone for a loop. Predictable, enjoyable, and there's fireworks at the end. Main man is a stud, too. 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

I'm not really great about printing photos and making photo albums. There's a saying in Spanish that goes "Casa de herrero, cuchillo de palo," which roughly translates into "In the blacksmith's house the knives are wooden." Basically, where something should be abundant (like printed photos in a photographer's house), they aren't.

But a few weeks ago, I decided I was going to stop saying "one day I'll make the album," and I actually did it. It seems like such a daunting task, right? And while it definitely took me a few hours to organize everything, it wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. 

For me, digital organization is something I've struggled with for a while. I used to have pictures all over the place, but in the last few years I've started to organize myself much better. Cell phone photos still live on my phone and in the cloud, but they are pretty easy to organize there! Photos that come off my camera are generally a more tedious process, but I finally have a system in place and I have been making sure to organize all my photos for the last year. So last week, when I saw that Artifact Uprising was having a sale, I went ahead and took advantage. The quality of products from there is excellent, and I love how sleek and timeless their products look. The other thing I like is that layouts are simple. You don't have to include words, but you can if you want to. I didn't include writing in most of the pages, but I definitely felt like 2020 needed some explanation for the future!

I went ahead and made the hardcover photo book, and it came in this week. I'm really really glad I ended up doing it, and I'm going to try to work backwards in years so I can fill in some of those missing years. I'm also thinking of doing big vacations in separate albums (like our trip to Europe in 2019/2020). 

​So how did I get organized? Here's how!

I'm not going to say this was a quick or even really easy process, but it definitely wasn't the arduous thing I had built up in my head. My biggest tip is to enjoy the steps! And if you have any questions, definitely don't hesitate to ask! 

xoxo, 

​Jenise